Up Close With Worcester’s The River Neva
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The River Neva performs their music with an unmatched intensity.
Worcester's The River Neva perform an emotionally-driven, melodic and violent version of one of the more intricate and at times, divisive, forms of modern music, i.e. progressive metal. I say divisive, because progressive metal isn't for everyone, not even most fans of heavy metal, and these bands would be the first to admit it. But, though it may not be the world's most popular form of music, the most talented of these bands can gain a dedicated following if they play their cards right. And, so far, The River Neva has.
The members of the band are: Trey Holton on vocals; Grizz Gagnon and Chris Abbott on guitars; Jake O'Connor on bass; and Dana Gagnon on drums. All of the members were brought up in the Worcester area while the city was a hotbed for metal and hardcore music. They became enthralled by the scene and began to play in various bands before joining together.
Why They Love It
Judging by their explanation for why they enjoy playing their music, their deep and inspired love for the art is clear.
"It is a catharsis. It allows you to convey emotion through sound and poetry " says singer Trey Holton.
"It is beauty in something that seems chaotic, but actually has an underlying order to it. It is patterns in the abstract. It is a living, breathing oxymoron."
In music, especially metal and more particularly progressive metal, out of chaos comes order, and a listener comes understand this order, though he may not be able to explain it in words. And no two people have to come to the same understanding.
"We hate telling people how to interpret our music. I think metal means different things to different people. It is emotionally charged and is meant to inspire emotion. Any emotion. Joy, anger, agitation, sadness, any emotion as long as we touch someone in that way," says Holton.
Most of their lyrics are historical in nature, and a listener will be able to glean from many of their songs various opinions on war, politics, religion and society in general. But, they admit, lyrics aren't important to everyone.
"We just want to reach people in any way we can whether it be by a brutal or intricate instrumental section of a song or something in the lyrics that someone can really identify with," Holton says.
How They Do It
Their writing process is well-structured.
Grizz is the main songwriter in the band. He comes up with the majority of the riffs and brings them to the band. They then decide how to build the song as a unit.
"He has a general idea of the bones of the song and we figure out how to transition and the speed at which we do so. Then Trey comes in at the end and makes some small changes to the length of parts and structure based on how he is hearing the vocals and we have a song," explains the band. This is consistent with their overall philosophy.
"It requires 5 people to create something wholly unique from a myriad of different sources," says Trey.
The band's first EP, Chemistry of Holocaust, can be heard on their Reverbnation site. There will be entering the studio soon to record a second EP.
A listen to Chemistry will give you a good taste of what they are all about. The progressive mix of thrash and death metal will hit you over the head with intense, growling vocals, merciless drums, and lightning quick but artistically savvy quitars. They hope to carry their music to a whole new level with their next release. They also expect to go on a larger regional tour to support it.
"I think we all enjoy the process of creation and presentation of our craft. We generally enjoy each other's company and the process by which we make music. It allows us to create a unique take on the metal genre. To place our stamp on it and give it to the world for interpretation and judgment, " Holton concludes.
For more information on The River Neva and to hear some of their music please find them on Facebook or on Reverbnation.
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